Juvenile Criminal Defense

Juvenile Criminal Defense

  • Children who have been falsely accused
  • Children who have made poor choices
  • Defend juvenile rights in court
  • Ten – 16 years can be charged with a crime
  • Remain in court system until 19 years old in specific situations
  • MUST BE REPRESENTED BY AN ATTORNEY
  • Aimed at rehabilitation
  • Detention hearings within 48 hours of being taken into custody
  • Includes suspension and expulsion hearings from disciplinary action, and appeals therefrom

Dodd Law Offices, PLLC does not represent nor refer to our clients as criminals; we represent children who have been falsely accused or those who have made poor choices. Each client is a unique individual with a specific set of needs.

The juvenile court system is very specialized and requires expertise. We represent and defend juveniles’ rights in court.

All minor children can be charged with an offense from the age of 10 through 16; however, in specific situations, this court system does have jurisdiction of children through 19 years of age.

Being charged with a criminal offense places a child in the court system known as the juvenile justice system. This system’s goals are directed at rehabilitating adolescents.

By law, all juveniles must be represented by an attorney in order to ensure their rights are being upheld. Juveniles are adjudicated of various offenses and not convicted of crimes. Juveniles will either be taken into custody by the police and transported to the juvenile detention center or released to their parents pending court proceedings.

If minors are taken to and held at the juvenile detention facility, there will be a detention hearing within 48 hours in order to determine whether they will be detained for the next 10-15 days. Juveniles are not entitled to bond; therefore, they will have regular detention hearings approximately every 10 days.

Juveniles and their parents may receive paperwork from a constable that will require them to appear in court. Our attorney also assists with the disciplinary procedures that include suspension and expulsion hearings when detained on an offense that happened on campus or during a school-sanctioned event.

Dodd Law Offices, PLLC handles all cases from simple adjudications, and motions to modify, through the most serious of offenses.

Sealing Juveniles' Records

  • Juveniles’ personal information becomes part of the system when detained or investigated
  • Allows mistakes to be put in the past and protects futures
  • May remove juveniles’ information from databases
  • Allows easy transition to continue education and entering workforce

Once a juvenile has been detained or investigated for a criminal offense, whether or not criminal charges have been formally filed, there will be information on the child in the juvenile justice system that can be detrimental to his or her future.

Sealing records is an opportunity, specific to minors, that assists in putting mistakes in the past and allowing futures to be protected. The juvenile system allows a child to make mistakes, and upon meeting specified conditions, which can be discussed during your consultation, that information may be removed from the juvenile databases dependent on underlying offenses.

To have minors put their mistakes behind them, we strongly encourage parents to seal all of their underage child’s juvenile records. This will allow an easier transition in furthering one’s education, as well as a smooth transition upon entering into the workforce.

To learn more and explore these possibilities, please call one of our offices and allow us to assist you in this process.

Juveniles Accused of Sexual Offenses

  • Differs from adult offenders
  • Needs attorney with comprehensive knowledge of all issues involved in sexual offenses

Juveniles accused of sexual offenses is an area of law that must be handled very carefully in the juvenile system. These types of infractions are treated very differently than adults charged with the same offenses and have several issues that must be taken into consideration when evaluating such cases.

Complete and comprehensive knowledge of all of the collateral issues involved in sexual offenses is necessary for successful defense of minors accused of sexual crimes. These collateral issues include sex offender registration, school related notifications and/or removal from the regular campus, treatment options, utilization of polygraph examinations in both treatment and defense of the case, mandatory DNA collection, and sealing of the juvenile’s records.

Appropriate decisions cannot be made in the defense of a case without a full understanding of each of these collateral issues.

Dodd Law Offices, PLLC defends the case based on the facts of the offense, the legal issues involved, and assists and guides the family through the most stressful of situations.

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Juvenile Sex Offender Registration & De-Registration

  • May occur when juveniles are charged with sexual offense(s)
  • Three types of registration include full, limited, and waiver of sex offender registration
  • Decision can be deferred until after juveniles have been through treatment
  • De-registration may be necessary if sex offender registration is required

Sex offender registration becomes an issue if a juvenile is charged with a sexual type of offense. Courts have three options regarding sex offender registration: full sex offender registration, limited sex offender registration, and waiver of sex offender registration.

Juveniles are unique from adults in that courts can postpone this decision until a child has been through sex offender treatment. However, this issue can impact an adolescent, and their family, for the rest of their life if not handled appropriately.

Juvenile sex offender de-registration should be addressed if a minor has been required to register as a sex offender.

Dodd Law Offices, PLLC evaluates all issues involved in this decision, including, but not limited to, the specific facts of the offense, the treatment the child has or has not received, the progress the child made in their treatment, and how the child has performed in all areas of his or her life since the offense occurred.

We understand this can be a very difficult and stressful time for your family; our firm will help educate and assist your family through this process.